fiscal cliff, the slowing growth in china, above all the eurozone now in recession. people know that there are no quick fixes to these problems, but they want to know that we are making progress, and the message from today's autumn statement is that we are making progress. it is a hard road, but we're getting there, and britain is on the right track. >> will the chancellor resume his seat. now, look, let's be clear about this. the house knows well enough by now that i will afford a very full opportunity for questioning of the chancellor. but the more interruption, the greater the noise, the longer the session will take, and that cannot be right. so i appeal to members, please, to give the chancellor a courteous hearing as, indeed, if it becomes necessary i will appeal to government back benches to afford a fair hearing to the shadow chancellor. that's how it should be. the chancellor. >> mr. speaker, britain is on the right track, and turning back now would be a disaster. we have much more to do. the deficit has fallen by a quarter in just two years, and today's figu